Dr. Foley's primary areas of scholarship are
American Studies with an emphasis on Oklahoma
music and culture, Native American Studies, and
Cinema. His 31 years of radio experience
also provides RSU with an excellent advisor and mentor
for broadcasting majors. He currently serves as
the faculty consultant
at the campus radio station, KRSC-FM, where he
produces a weekly Native American current events and
music program, and mentors students in basic studio
operations. He has established a college music format which allows
students a chance to operate a progressive music radio
format and learn operational skills appropriate for
entry level positions in commercial radio, and counsels student music
directors in their reporting to the national
publication. College Media Journal. Dr. Foley is also
a published poet, the author of the Oklahoma
Music Guide, and has also produced a widely-shown
documentary, Savage Country, which explores the
use of American Indian mascots in Oklahoma high school
football, in addition to several other cultural and
experimental videos.

Foley received a
Ph. D. in English from Oklahoma State University
in 2000, an M. A. in English with an emphasis in
creative writing from New York University in 1992, and
a B. A. in English from New York University in
1987. His doctoral dissertation explores the
cultural history of Muskogee, Oklahoma from 1795 to
1945 to explain why the town produced more noted jazz
musicians than any other town of comparable size in
American history. He is an honor graduate of the
U.S. Department of Defense Information School with
specialized training in public affairs and radio/tv
broadcasting, and was graduated by Muskogee High
School in 1979.

Dr. Foley also produces the annual Native
American Storytelling and Traditional Arts Festival at
RSU, held each year on the fourth Saturday of
November, advises the RSU Native
American Student Association, and coordinates the RSU Graduation Honor Powwow the 2nd weekend
of May. His radio
program, "Native Air," is broadcast on both KRSC-FM and on KUSH-1600 AM in Cushing, Oklahoma and
was chosen by readers of Native American Times
as one of their favorite Indian radio programs in the
2000, 2001, and 2003 surveys. He also reports a weekly Americana music
chart to the Americana Music Association for KUSH.
From 1995 to 2003, he served as a founding member on
the Board of
Directors for the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and
Museum, Inc., a
non-profit organization which produces the yearly
induction ceremonies for the Oklahoma Music Hall of
Fame. Currently, he serves as the
chair of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Induction
Selection Committee, and as an ex-officio board
member. Additionally, Dr. Foley serves
on the advisory board for the
Pawnee
Nation College in Pawnee, Oklahoma, and as of
July, 2005, he accepted role of President of the
Oklahoma Folklife Council . In 2008, Foley
chaired the statewide panel to coordinate the
nomination and selection of a legislatively
designated rock song for the state of Oklahoma which
will be announced in January 2009.